How (Relatively) Old Men Stay in Baseball So Long

Here's what the fogies of summer many of whom are still playing can teach those rookies headed back to AA for the spring

For most, hitting 40 is an uneasy steppingstone. For Major Leaguers, it's a geriatric club of accomplishment. Here's what the fogies of summer — many of whom are still playing — can teach those rookies headed back to AA for the springWHAT I'VE LEARNED: Life Lessons for Love of the Game >>

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Julio Franco

Born: August 23, 1958 ///Debuted: 1982 ///Final Season: 2007
The High: Minnie Minoso is technically the oldest position player ever, but stopped being a regular at 38. Franco hit .273 over 95 games at 47.
The Low: Franco's late-in-life success is all the more inexplicable because he was basically out of the bigs from 39 to 41.
The Details: Baseball's been a way off the island for many Dominicans, but none have covered as much territory as Franco: the 1990 All-Star Game MVP played for nine major-league teams — plus stints in Japan, Korea, and Mexico. His secret? Egg whites, and plenty of 'em.

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Phil Niekro

Born: April 1, 1939 ///Debuted: 1964 ///Final Season: 1987
The High: At 43, most pitchers are firmly planted on the Barcalounger. Niekro took a run at Cy Young with a 17-4 season.
The Low: His 24 seasons in the majors probably should have only been 23, as he went out with a 7-13 record and a 6.30 ERA.
The Details:Bobby Murcer said hitting Niekro was "like trying to eat Jell-O with chopsticks." Despite stardom coming late, a mastery of the knuckleball enabled him to win 318 games — or 97 more than his brother Joe did.

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Jamie Moyer

Born: November 18, 1962 ///Debuted: 1986 ///2009 Stats: 12-10, 4.94 ERA
The High: Moyer won a career-high 21 games and made his first All-Star game at 40.
The Low: Pretty much everything before he turned 33.
The Details: Moyer was the oldest player in the American League back in 2005. He's slowing down but not stopping even as the big 5-0 comes in view, winning his first World Series title with the Phillies in 2008 despite throwing a "heater" in the low 80s.

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Nolan Ryan

Born: January 31, 1947 ///Debuted: 1966 ///Final Season: 1993
The High: Ryan was 44 when he threw his seventh and final no-hitter.
The Low: From 1980 to '86, he failed to lead the league in strikeouts even once, if you can imagine such a thing. Also, his real first name is Lynn.
The Details: Older pitchers are supposed to win with guile. Lynn simply decided to keep bringing the heat, winning strikeout titles from ages 40 to 43 (and racking up a shocking 301 at 42). Oh, and the all-time K-king could still kick ass even when he didn't have the ball, as Robin Ventura discovered.

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Matt Stairs

Born: February 27, 1968 ///Debuted: 1992 ///2009 Season: .194, 5 HR, 17 RBI
The High: There hasn't been one for some time now.
The Low: The Mendoza line, last fall.
The Details: Stairs has never been an All-Star, and that's unlikely to change. But if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! Come Opening Day, he'll be playing for a record twelfth different team. (He played on three in 2006 alone.) Just no more expansion teams, okay? A man's gotta retire at some point.

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Satchel Paige

Born: July 7, 1906 ///Debuted: 1948 ///Final Season: 1965
The High: Paige's debut season was a good one, as he helped the Indians win their first World Series in 28 years (the title-less streak resumed the next year and now stands at 61 and counting).
The Low: By his fifth season he was finally gassed, going just 3-9.
The Details: Baseball had never seen a (42-year-old) rookie like Paige. "If me and Satch were pitching on the same team," Dizzy Dean once said, "we would clinch the pennant by July Fourth and go fishing until World Series time." Paige made two All-Star teams and the Hall of Fame when the Negro League Committee inducted him in 1971.

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Cap Anson

Born: April 17, 1852 ///Debuted: 1871 ///Final Season: 1897
The High: Hitting .388 at 42 wasn't too shabby (nor was batting over .300 the next two seasons as well).
The Low: Remember how Satch couldn't play in the majors until his 40s? Here's one of the reasons why.
The Details: He collected 3,435 hits while hitting .334 over a 26-year career, making him one of baseball's first superstars. Yep, Cap was pretty great... unless you were black. There's debate over whether he actively sought to create the color line or was racist in a more casual way, but he's definitely one of the folks who made Jackie Robinson necessary.

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Trevor Hoffman

Born: October 13, 1967 ///Debuted: 1993 ///2009 Stats: 3-2, 1.83 ERA, 37 saves
The High: In 2007, Hoffman recorded an unprecedented 500th career save.
The Low: The regular season magic hasn't exactly translated to the playoffs, as he's 1-2 with four saves and a 3.46 ERA in 12 appearances.
The Details: The all-time saves leader was supposed to be out of baseball two years ago, but proved to be that rare human being for whom moving to Milwaukee was a change for the better, as he reclaimed his All-Star form at 41. Nice one, Padres.

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Hoyt Wilhelm

Born: July 26, 1922 ///Debuted: 1952 ///Final Season: 1972
The High: At 44, Wilhelm went 8-3 with 12 saves and an absurd 1.31 ERA.
The Low: As with so many men, it was a struggle turning 40, as his ERA was over 2.00 for the only time in a seven-year span lasting until he was 45.
The Details: Wilhelm didn't even reach the majors until he was 29, but stuck around long enough to make up for it, receiving his final All-Star selection at a ludicrous 47. His 143 wins, 227 saves, and 2.52 ERA made him the first reliever in Cooperstown. Kids: start knuckleballing.

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Takashi Saito

Born: February 14, 1970 ///Debuted: 2006 ///2009 Stats: 3-3, 2.43 ERA, 2 saves
The High: Saito made his All-Star debut at 37 in 2007.
The Low: Lost his closer gig in 2009.
The Details: After Nomo and Ichiro, it was accepted Japanese stars could cut it here. Saito, however, was not a star: he was a mediocre, injury-riddled fella in his mid-30s... shocking many when he not only made the Dodgers but found the U.S. easier to hack than his previous gig (Japanese career: 87-80, 3.80 ERA, 48 saves; U.S.: 15-10, 2.05 ERA, 83 saves). No wonder we can't win a World Baseball Classic.

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Mariano Rivera

Born: November 29, 1969 ///Debuted: 1995 ///2009 Stats: 3-3, 1.76 ERA, 44 saves
The High: Nailing down his fifth World Series title last year was okay.
The Low: The Low: Remember when his cousin stole Jeter's glove? Good times.
The Details: His regular season numbers are amazing (71-52, 2.25 ERA, 526 saves) unless you compare them to his postseason ones (8-1, 0.74 ERA, 39 saves)... and he does it all with one pitch. Worst of all for Yankee haters, Steinbrenner first signed him for just $3,000, proving the universe is, indeed, unfair.

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